ZyXEL Communications Zyair B-1000 v.2, User Manual

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ZyAIR Access Point Series User’s Guide
Wizard Setup 3-5
3.4.1 IP Address Assignment
Every computer on the Internet must have a unique IP address. If your networks are isolated from the
Internet, for instance, only between your two branch offices, you can assign any IP addresses to the hosts
without problems. However, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved the following
three blocks of IP addresses specifically for private networks.
Table 3-3 Private IP Address Ranges
10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255
172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255
192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255
You can obtain your IP address from the IANA, from an ISP or have it assigned by a private network. If you
belong to a small organization and your Internet access is through an ISP, the ISP can provide you with the
Internet addresses for your local networks. On the other hand, if you are part of a much larger organization,
you should consult your network administrator for the appropriate IP addresses.
Regardless of your particular situation, do not create an arbitrary IP address;
always follow the guidelines above. For more information on address assignment,
please refer to RFC 1597, Address Allocation for Private Internets and RFC 1466,
Guidelines for Management of IP Address Space.
3.4.2 IP Address and Subnet Mask
Similar to the way houses on a street share a common street name, so too do computers on a LAN share one
common network number.
Where you obtain your network number depends on your particular situation. If the ISP or your network
administrator assigns you a block of registered IP addresses, follow their instructions in selecting the IP
addresses and the subnet mask.
If the ISP did not explicitly give you an IP network number, then most likely you have a single user account
and the ISP will assign you a dynamic IP address when the connection is established. The Internet Assigned
Number Authority (IANA) reserved this block of addresses specifically for private use; please do not use any
other number unless you are told otherwise. Let's say you select 192.168.1.0 as the network number; which
covers 254 individual addresses, from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254 (zero and 255 are reserved). In other
words, the first three numbers specify the network number while the last number identifies an individual
computer on that network.
Once you have decided on the network number, pick an IP address that is easy to remember, for instance,
192.168.1.2, for your ZyAIR, but make sure that no other device on your network is using that IP address.